A photo from open sources
In 1954, the Australian ship “Rachel Cohen” embarked on major repairs in one of the docks of Adelaide. The repair started with “general cleaning”. They took to clean the bottom of the ship from shells, and found 17 huge teeth stuck in the casing. Each – size 8 by 10 cm.
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In the entire history of the Earth’s existence, such teeth could boast only one “fish” – megalodon. One trouble: she died out 1.5 million years ago. Or not?
Terrible on the face, same inside
26.5 million years a giant bloodthirsty shark known as megalodon (Carcharodon megalodon) reigned in the oceans. Nothing worse nature has not yet created. According to scientists, in length megalodon reached from 20 to 30 meters! And weighed on 50 to 100 tons. His favorite foods were sperm whales and baleen whales, whom he had a snack on, as they say, at times.
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Can you imagine the mouth size of this monstrous fish, if Was a 10-meter whale an ordinary hunting object for her? These super predators stood at the top of the food chain. And if so put it, kept in fear all the aquatic inhabitants.
The huge teeth that are found all over the ocean, which speaks of incredibly widespread megalodon settlement, have a triangular shape and remind sharks. The difference is only in scale. The tooth is the largest – Great White Shark – does not exceed 6 cm. While megalodon the most modest “fang” reaches 10 cm, but normal the size for them is 17-18 cm.
Actually, scientists were able to approximately recreate the appearance and size of the predator, for the largest individuals were female – “megalodonikh”. First, the jaw was reconstructed, and then – and the “figure”, taking into account the fact that the nearest a relative of megalodons is a large white shark. It turned out a kind of “big white”, only more “broad-bonded”, and besides, carried away by steroids: an awesome-looking skeleton now flaunts at the Maryland Maritime Museum (USA).
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Passing by and not shuddering in horror is simply impossible. A wide skull, massive jaws and a short, blunt snout – look unattractive. As ichthyologists joke, “on the face megalodon was a pig. “Next to this giant a person feels just a grain of sand. And from looking at a 2-meter jaw with 5 rows of teeth, shivers. Involuntarily rejoice that these monsters are no longer in the ocean.
But is it definitely not? This is just a big question.
From a geological point of view, extinct animals are recognized as being if signs of their stay do not reveal more than 400 000 years. But let’s not forget about the Australian ship Rachelle Cohen “: analyzes showed that the teeth found in the bottom of the ship, really belonged to megalodon. Ok let’s say that was hoax. But what about the finds of paleontologists and ichthyologists?
The last megalodon teeth discovered in the vicinity of Tahiti and in our Baltic Sea, were dated almost as “youthful” – they were given 11 thousand years. They didn’t even have time to petrify as should! Feel the difference: 1.5 million – and 11 thousand years! Not at all forget to take into account the fact that the oceans have been studied only 10%. So it may be that somewhere out there – in the depths – also these “charming fish” are found.
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Say such giant sharks couldn’t stay undetected? Leave your pride. Deep sea shark known as long-mouthed, humanity discovered only in 1976. And then completely by accident: one individual stuck in the anchor chain research vessel in the waters near the island of Oahu (Hawaii). 36 years have passed since then, but during all this time a large-mouthed shark seen only 25 times – and even then only in the form of corpses on coast.
The brownie shark, also known as the “nickname” goblin, discovered its presence in the oceans in 1897. And before that it was considered long and hopelessly extinct.
And for the first time people “whispered” a whale shark in 1828, before pores remaining in happy ignorance regarding her existence.
In addition, no one has scanned the oceans. And to Megalodon will never come near the coast – not allow impressive size. So this shark leads a deep-sea lifestyle. How deep is the sea? Good question. Sperm whales, for example, the largest of the known predators animals capable of diving to 3 km depth and it’s great to feel there: they don’t care about the water pressure. True, they have to rise to the surface – behind a breath of air. Megalodons and this is useless: the gills supply them with oxygen. So that early, early to delete them from the list of living! Meeting with “beautiful”
A weighty argument in favor of the “vitality” of megalodons leads in its the book “Sharks and rays of the seas of Australia” (1963) famous Australian ichthyologist – David George Stead.
In 1918, he worked in the public service and was responsible for fishing in the southern waters of Australia. And then he was hurriedly called from port Stevenson: local fishermen refuse to go to sea, until scared of death by some huge fish – need a consultation specialist. Stead hastened to appear. After asking the fishermen, he found out the following.
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Following once and for all routine, early morning catchers lobsters set off for traps set the day before. Arrived at the place – to the island of Bruton. Divers descended under water to attach traps to motor boats. The rest of teams calmly awaited their return. However divers rose right there. In a panic, they climbed onto the decks, screaming at different voices: “Shark! Giant shark! Sail away from here immediately !! ”
And indeed, in the surface of the water fishermen made outlines huge terrible fish. Without spending a second, they hurried leave a scary place. And having recovered from horror, divers told that, having descended to the bottom, they saw an incredibly large ash-white shark. She devoured the set traps with lobsters and it was not stopped by either anchor chains or ropes.
According to the fishermen, it turned out that the shark reached a 35-meter lengths. And her head was the size of the roof of a boat shed.
The ichthyologist did not immediately believe the fishermen: common sense to him suggested that megalodon (and judging by the size sharks, it could only be him) could not resurrect and show up in Australian waters. On the other hand, Stead realized: fishermen have no reason to lie and shy away from work, because catch depends on their revenue. In addition, to invent a similar history, some imagination was required. The fishermen were experienced sailors, but not dreamers.
So as a scientist, Stead failed completely: he couldn’t to refute nor confirm the words of the lobster catchers. For myself the ichthyologist concluded: one cannot exclude the fact that megalodons still live in the oceans. And you know, we are inclined with him to agree. Who knows what it hides is deep blue sea?
Steps № 22 2012
Australia Sharks Water Time
